Apparatus for liquid treatment of fabric and the like



March 5, 1957 A. \BRUNNER- ET AL 2,783,533

APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDYTREATMENT OF FABRIC AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1957 A. BRUNNER ET AL 2,783,633

APPARATUS FOR LIQUID TREATMENT OF FABRIC AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

APPARATUS FOR LIQUID TREATMENT OF FABRlC AND THE LIKE August Brunner and Giulio Veronesi, Milan-Precotto,

Italy, assignors to Mezzera Societa per Azioni, Milanlrecotto, Italy Application February 24, 1953, Serial No. 338,502

Claims priority, application Italy March 31, 1952 8 Claims. (Cl. 68176) This invention relates to a machine for the ultra-rapidwashing of fabrics of all kinds and of any length.

The advantages obtainable by the use of our new' machine are effective penetration of the bath into the fabric and eflicient vibration of the fabric to effect rapid elimination of undesirable particles and to improve washing etliciency. It has not been possible heretofore to attain very high speeds in fabric treating machines, i. e. fabric speeds exceeding 100 meters/min. on account of the tendency of the fabric to become entangled frequently.

in certain prior machines attempts have been made to reach high speeds by causing a fabric rope to move over cylinders provided with suitable resilient devices, in order partly to eliminate tension. The machine according to this invention operates with the fabric fully free in the bath, any entanglement between the moving fabric windings being eliminated by adopting special curved surfaces and by guiding the fabric by means of oscillating combs and small guide clearances, whereby the available bath volume is utilised to a high degree never attained heretofore.

The machine according to this invention is suitable for washing as well as for any other treatment, such as purging, bleaching or dyeing.

The machine consists primarily of two counter-rotating drums with parallel axes lying over two suitably shaped vats, in which the fabric in an endless web formed by successive windings, is alternately submitted to the action of the bath and to the surrounding air.

The drums rotate in a direction to cause the fabric tofall towards the inside of the vats and to rise towards the outside.

The fabric is introduced into the first vat by means of a liquid spray funnel, each of the vats being provided at one end with a counter chute. The chute on the first vat leads the fabric to the second vat after it has travelled over the entire length of the first vat.

The counter chute of the second vat is utilized for returning the fabric to the first vat when treatment requires a closed cycle of movement of the fabric.

When continuous operation is desired, the fabric issuing from the second vat can be conveyed to other machines.

According to this invention the two vats, which may contain two different liquids, for instance a purging and a washing liquid, are of a form such as to require a limited quantity of liquid and to avoid knotting and entanglement of the fabric windings.

Further features and advantages of this invention will be understood from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings which show diagrammatically, by way of example only, an embodiment of this invention.

Figure l is a sectional view of the machine on a plane perpendicular to the axes of the two drums,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the,

device for adjusting the bath level.

1 and 2 denote two parallel cylindrical drums rotating I in the directions indicated by the arrows.

Each drum is provided with longitudinal ribs 3, which Alternativemay be substantially triangular in section. ly, the ribs may be of semi-circular section or other upwardly tapered form. 7

Two vats 4 and 5 are arranged beneath the drums. The inner ends of the vats facing each other are provided with two inclined walls or chutes 4a, 5a for feeding the fabric.

The walls 4b, 5b of each vat into which the chutes 4a and 5a merge, is downwardly inclined and terminates with a short nearly horizontal section 40, 5c connected with a vertical end portion 4d, 5d. t

An opening 6 is formed in each verticalportion and communicates throughout the vat length with a chamber 1 8. A tube 9 is rotatable in this chamber, said tube be-- ing formed with an opening directed along a generatrix and provided at one end with a discharge conduit 7. The tube 9 can be rotated about its axis, thereby adjusting the bath level.

Each vat is further provided with heating means 10,.

for instance in the form of steam or superheated water coils arranged to facilitate transmission of heat, though protecting the fabric in the bath against local super heating or steam bubbles.

The two chutes 4a, 5a extend at the top into a recepta f cle l1, subdivided into two portions by a partition 12. Perforated tubes 13a, 13b are arranged ineach portion of the receptacle for supplying liquid to the vats 4, 5, along the chutes 4a, 5a, respectively. For instance, the tube 13a supplies purging liquid to the vat 4 and tube 13b supplies washing liquid to the vat 5.

The fabric T is fed to one end of the vat 4 by a feed cylinder 14 and is introduced into the vat through a liquid spray funnel 15. The fabric is carried along by the drum 1 and travels over the latter in successive loose turns over its entire length.

On reaching the opposite end of the drum 1 the fabric passes over a counter chute 16 on the first vat into the second vat 5 and travels through the entire length there of by the action of the drum 2 in successive loops in a direction opposite to its direction of movement on the drum 1.

shown) for automatically stopping the machine if the fabric becomes accumulated or entangled.

The above described construction of the vats employs a reduced quantity of both liquid and avoids any knotting or entanglement of the fabric, whereby very high rates of feed, even as high as meters/minute may be reached.

The fabric carries along with it large quantities of liquid which considerably increase the washing etiiciencyz. in the vertical portions of the path of travel of the fabric. i

The successive ribs 3 on thedrurns 1 and Z-are spaced with respect to their height and in relation to thediameter of the drums in such manner that the fabric becomes,

disposed in polygonal turns, nearly tangential to the--in-' scribed circle which is the section of the drum. Under Patented Mar. 5, 1957 enssmt these conditions, the fabricis thrown, between the various ribs, against the cylindrical wall in a resilient mannerby virtue of the air cushions between the ribs and polygonal c s, iwherebythc liquid tcarri dsal-ongr by the tabric-tis sprayed in every direction, the penetration oi theilignid is considerably accelerate for dyeing purposes .and elimination' of impurities in the washing is improved, The following proportions mayfbe given'by way of exam le. In a drum of 1000 millimeters diametensix ribs 510 mjillimeters high are employed.

Whatwe claim is:

1. In a machine for washing, purging, bleaching, dyeing and like-liquid treatment offabric in rope form, at least one-unitcomprisingavat for containingaliquid, airotatably-mounted cylindrical reel disposed above said .vat in spaced relationship thereto, means for rotating the drum to continuously carry fabric over it and through the liquid-in-the vat, while said {fabric follows a helical path pa'ssing over the -reel and forms "loops freely depending from the latter and having their lower portions immersed in the liquid contained in the vat, said 'reel having the form of a cylindrical drum with 'a horizontal axis and of circular cross section, and -a plurality of axially-extendingperiphcral ribs, the height and angular displacement of said ribs being such that any plane passing through the free edges of two adjacent ribs intersects the cylindrical body of the drum, means for introducing-the :fabric to be treated from a point above said-drum downwardly into the vat at one side of said drum so that said fabric will move upwardly onto said drum attheother side of said drum, said vat having one sloping longitudinal side wall having a sloping plate forming an upper extension of said side wall and a substantially horizontal bottom, said sidewall merging downwardly with said substantially horizontal bottom -of the vat-and upwardly with said sloping plate, said .dr-um being positioned with respect to said vatto cause the ,fabric to .be withdrawn from the bath contained in the vat onto the drum :in a substantially vertical path, and said {means for introducing the fabric into the vat being positioned ,to cause the fabric to be fed downwardly onto said sloping plate, means -'for wetting continuously said sloping ,plate with a stream \Of "liquid and mcans'for maintaining constant the liquid lltWCl in :the vat.

2, ,,i\'lachine for washing, purging, bleaching, dyeing and likeliquid treatment of, websof tfabrictcomprising-in :cornhination, a pair of vats ,for containing liquidgsaidzvats zbB- ing parallel to each othertand symmetrically-disposedwith respect to the middle plane of the machine, each of said vats being of rectangular shape in plan view, an outerside wall, a substantiallyhorizontal bottom and aslcpinglongitndinal side wall rising towards .the middle plane. of the machine, and a sloping plate merging with :the ,upper edge, of said side wall and protruding upwardly towards said.

middle plane, means for feeding a liquid into each vat and means for discharging and varying the level of said liquidin each vat, a first cylindrical drum and a second cylindrical drum each disposed over one of said vats and havingshorizontal axes disposedparallel and symmetrically withrespect to said middle plane of the machine, each of said .drums having a circular cross section and being provided on its outer-periphery with a plurality of equallyspaced :axiallyextending ribs, the displacement in height and angular displacement of said ribs being such that anyplane passing through the free edges of two adjacent ribs intersects the cylindrical body of the drum, the position of the axis, the diameter and the height of the ribs ofceaeh drum being such that one of the two vertical planes tangent to the cylindrical path of the top edgesof said ribs intersects the vat lying under said drum and the other of said vertical planes intersects said sloping platemerging with the upper edge of the sloping longitudinal side wall of the vat, means'for rotating said drums in opposed directions to continuously draw a fabric over saidtdrums and through the liquid-in the vats, means being 4 provided for directing the fabric leaving each drum in the direction of the vat.

3. Machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for directing the fabric leaving each drum towards the vat consists of two oppositelyinclined chutes situated at opposite ends of the machineand merging downwardly into the opposite sloping walls ofthe vats and extending upwardly to intersectithe vertical pathof the fabrics leaving their respective drums.

4. gMachiirefor washing, purging, bleaching, dyeing and like liquid treatment of webs of fabric comprising in combination a pair of vats for containing liquid, said vats being parallel ioeac'hother and-symmetricallydisposed with respect to the .middle plane of the machine, each of said'vats'having a substantially horizontal bottom and a sloping longitudinal side wall rising towards the middle plane and a sloping plate merging with the tuppertedge or said side wall and protruding upwardly towards said middle plane, means for teedingia liquid into each vat and meansfor discharging and -zvarying the level of .said liquid .ineach vat, .a first cylindrical drum vand a second (cylindrical drum rotatably mounted above said vats and having horizontal axes disposed in parallel and symmetrically with respect to said middle plane of thetmachine, each of said drums having acircular cross section and being provided on itsouter periphery posed directions to continuously draw a fabric over said;

drums and through the liquid in the vats along a path comprising successive turns spaced from each other wound upon the drums and depending therefrom into the vats, means for introducing ithe fabric to vbe :treated from a point vabove said first drum downwardly into the as- ;sociated vat'at a point on the side of said first drum toward which said first drum rotates when viewed from above'so that said fabric will move .upwardlyvonto said first drum at a point on the opposite (side of said first drum and said fabric will follow a course of at least 36,0. in passing through said vat and over said first drum, said ldrumsrb eing positioned with respect .to the associated vats .to cause :the fabric toibe withdrawn from thebathscontained in the vats onto the-drums in a substantially vertical path and said .means :-for introducing the fabric into ,the vat :associated with :the- :first drum being -positioned to cause the fabric to be fed downwardly onto said sloping plate, means being provided for directing,

as to intersect the vertical path of the fabrics leaving their respective drums.

6. A machine as defined in claim 4, wherein along the upper edge of each of the sloping plates v-a channel-like receiver is disposed, said receivers having, a common.

wall extending along throughoutthe length ,ofsaid ,plates and a lower wall adjacent said plates, and wherein said liquid feeding means comprises a bath liquid feeding tube provided with a series of aligned openings arranged above 'each'receiver, the bath liquid fallingitiomnsaid openings into said receivers and overflowing from said receivers onto the slopingplates oi said vats, 1

7'. A'machine as defined in claim 4,,Whe ein saidrneans for discharging and varying thejlevel ofsaidlliquid, in each vat comprises a tube having a horizontal aids parallel with the middle plane rotatably mounted in the end walls of each vat, said tube having a cylindrical wall provided with an axially extending slot communicating with the interior of said tube, the interior of said tube having an outlet for discharging liquid entering therein, rotation of each tube causing the distance between its slot and the bottom of the associated vat to be varied, and said slot thereby determining the depth of the liquid in the vat, the liquid being deepest when said slot is furtherest removed from said vat bottom.

8. A machine as defined in claim 4, wherein combs are pivotally mounted below the drums and above the vats for spacing from one another the fabric strands moving upwardly from the bath contained in the vats towards the drums.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jones Dec. 16, Payen July 14, Migliaccio May 18, Helmus Dec. 12, Hilliard Apr. 8, Koch Jan. 6, Negro July 27,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 26, Germany May 8, Germany July 20, France Feb. 14, Germany Aug. 4, 

